Peterborough's Joseph Bencze Gets Re-Signed By Hamilton Tiger-Cats

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Offensive lineman and Peterborough native Jordan Bencze will remain on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats roster of the Canadian Football League after being re-signed with three other players on Monday.

Facebook photo.

Bencze made his regular-season debut with the Tiger-Cats against the B.C. Lions on Nov. 5. That was his only regular-season game as he spent most of his time with the practice roster.

He made 24 appearances over four seasons with the McMaster University Marauders through 2016-19 as an offensive tackle and defensive tackle.

The McMaster alumnus was drafted by Hamilton in the fifth round, 45th overall in the 2020 CFL Draft.

He recorded 26.5 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and two quarterback sacks during his time on defence during his university career.

Bencze and the Tiger-Cats made the Grey Cup but lost to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 33-25. It was the fourth overtime game in Grey Cup history.

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David Tuan Bui


Peterborough Petes Launch Virtual School Visits

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The Peterborough Petes have launched their Virtual School Visit program where educators can host Petes players to their class announced Monday.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

The sessions contain 45-minute visits that include a question and answer period with players addressing topics like the importance of mental and physical health and a physical activity.

With the challenging year for the education system, the Petes want to continue to connect with students who have demonstrated resilience throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and educators who have gone over and above for their community according to the release.

“School visits were a marquee part of the Petes community outreach programming and we want to continue to host them,” said Morgan Blaind, Petes coordinator, administration and community engagement. “Our players look forward to connecting with students and educators.”

School visits will be hosted entirely online and educators will need to have access to video conferencing technology such as: Zoom, Google Meets or Microsoft Teams.

Petes players can either join an in-person class using SMART Board or other conferencing technology or can join a fully virtual class using the video call platform already in place. You can register by clicking here.

Educators and schools should contact Morgan Blaind at (705) 743-3681 ext. 221 or mblaind@gopetesgo.com with any questions regarding the virtual school visits. Due to high demand, a visit cannot be guaranteed for every class.

The Petes are asking fans to submit photos and videos cheering on our players following the latest restrictions that prevent fans from attending home games. To learn how to cheer them on, click here.

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Peterborough Petes Reassign Forward to the Ontario Hockey Junior League

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The Peterborough Petes have sent forward Jaden Reyes to the Lindsay Muskies of the Ontario Junior Hockey League announced on Tuesday.

Reyes was born in London, Ont. and played for the London Jr. Knights U15 AA in their 2018-19 season. Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

“Jaden will continue to practice with our group regularly and be available to play games during the remainder of the season,” said Michael Oke, Petes general manager.

Reyes netted five assists in 20 games for the Petes this season. He was selected 28th overall in the second round from the U18 AAA Kitchener Jr. Rangers in the 2021 U18 OHL Priority Selection.

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Peterborough Petes Acquire Chase Stillman From Sudbury Wolves

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The Peterborough Petes have acquired New Jersey Devils prospect Chase Stillman from the Sudbury Wolves in exchange for Alex Pharand and five OHL Priority Selection picks announced Monday.

Shase’s father Cory Stillman spent his last OHL season with the Petes in the 1992-93 season before making it to the NHL. Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

Stillman, who was selected by the Devils in the first round, 29th overall in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, has nine goals, 11 assists for 20 points in 24 games this season.

The 6’1”, 181 lbs right-winger signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Devils on Aug. 20 last year. In his rookie season in 2019-20, Stillman registered 34 points (13 goals, 21 assists) in 58 games, earning OHL First Team All-Rookie honours.

“We’re pretty excited to add a player of Chase’s calibre to our team,” said Michael Oke, Petes general manager. “He brings OHL and NHL development camp experience to our roster and we believe he’ll be an excellent fit for our club. We wish Alex Pharand all the best, he is an excellent young player with a bright future.”

“I appreciated my time in Sudbury and what they did for me,” said Stillman. “I think this is the right time for me to move on in my career. I’m excited to play with some promising guys like J.R. Avon who I played with for the majority of my minor hockey career. Rob Wilson has a reputation that speaks for itself, I’m excited for him to mold me.”

On the international stage, Stillman played for Hockey Canada’s Team White U17 Hockey Challenge in 2019, tallying four points (one goal, three assists) in six games.

The forward contributed to Team Canada’s gold medal title at the 2021 U18 IIHF World Championship in Texas, after picking up two goals and two assists for four points in seven games. During the OHL’s pause last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Stillman suited up for Esbjerg U20 team in Denmark, amassing 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) in eight games. 

In addition to sending Pharand to Sudbury, the Petes have sent Sarnia Sting’s 2nd round pick in 2022, Niagara IceDogs 2nd round pick in 2024, Kitchener Rangers and Owen Sound’s 3rd round pick in 2023, and the Bulldogs 3rd round pick in 2024.

Chase is the son of Petes alumnus and three-time Stanley Cup champion, Cory Stillman.

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Peterborough Petes Acquire Sixth-Round Pick From the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds

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The Peterborough Petes have traded forward Keegan McMullen for a 2024 sixth-round OHL Priority Selection pick from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds announced Monday.

The OHL trade deadline for the 2021-22 season ended on Monday at noon. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

“We would like to thank Keegan for his contributions on and off the ice as a Pete,” said Michael Oke, Petes general manager. “From being the last player selected in the 2018 draft to becoming a leader for this club speaks of his mentality and work ethic. We wish him all the best with the Greyhounds as they gear up for a deep playoff run.”

The trade was the second transaction the Petes have made in the past two days after picking up the Hamilton Bulldogs third-round pick in the Mason McTavish deal on Sunday night.

This marks the second time the Petes and Greyhounds made a trade this season. On Oct. 14, 2021, the Petes picked up forward Joe Carroll in exchange for three picks.

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Viral Sensation "Coach" Cal to Appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show

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The legacy of seven-year-old Internet sensation Callan Perks or “Coach Cal” continues as he will be a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show airing on Wednesday.

Callan Perks signed a one-day contract as the Peterborough Petes Next Gen head coach on Nov 28. Photo by Jenish Odigski.

Perks first came to stardom after giving a pre-game speech to the Peterborough Petes in their Next Gen game. The day allowed the children a chance to join the Petes hockey operations and entertainment staff and participate in their respective roles for a day.

Since the video went viral, Perks has appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America, CBC’s The National and picked up by TSN and the NHL.

Perks is a grade 2 student at Lakefield District Public School. He has skated since he was two and started playing hockey as a centreman when he was three.

His favourite NHL team is the Edmonton Oilers with Connor McDavid as his favourite player. The undefeated coach wants to be an NHL player when he grows up. Following his hockey-playing career, he wants to be a hockey coach or general manager.

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Two Petes Have World Juniors Experience Cut Short Amid Rising COVID-19 Cases

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Peterborough Petes players Mason McTavish and Brian Zanetti have their International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Juniors tournament cut short due to COVID-19 announced Wednesday.

Mason McTavish (left) has scored five goals with the Petes while Brian Zanetti (right) has netted nine assists on the OHL season. Photos Courtesy of David Pickering and the Peterborough Petes.

The confirmation came from Chris Peters, NHL draft and prospects analyst and TSN’s Bob MacKenzie in a Tweet.

The decision came after three games were forfeited due to positive COVID-19 tests within teams.

The United States conceded first to Switzerland after two positive results on Tuesday. Czechia followed suit with their matchup vs Finland on Wednesday with Russia shortly resigning their game against Slovakia hours later. Both Czechia and Russia had one positive case apiece.

Team Canada’s McTavish was fresh off a three-point night against Austria with two goals in an assist on Tuesday. He had three goals and two assists in two games.

Switzerland’s Zanetti did not register a point in his one game played resulting in a 4-2 loss against Russia.

The tournament was being held in Red Deer, Alta. and Edmonton.

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Peterborough Petes Mason McTavish Aids Team Canada With Three Points In Rout at World Juniors

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Peterborough Petes’s Michael McTavish netted three points for Team Canada at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Juniors in an 11-2 rout against Team Austria on Tuesday.

McTavish scored his first NHL goal in his debut with the Anaheim Ducks against the Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 13. Photo Courtesy of David Pickering and the Peterborough Petes.

The NHL’s third overall pick in the 2021 entry draft scored two goals and an assist to move the team to a 2-0 record.

His first point was an assist from making a pass in the neutral zone to goal-scorer Logan Stankoven to extend Canada’s lead to 3-0 after 8:22 of the first period.

Team Canada ended the first period up 5-0.

With a quiet second period, McTavish got on the scoreboard with a goal 4:44 into the third. He scored a sharp-angle shot beating Austrian goaltender Leon Sommer top shelf to give Canada a 9-1 lead.

The Anaheim Ducks draftee quickly scored his second goal 47 seconds later off a rebound shot by teammate Ronan Seeley to make it 10-1.

McTavish has three goals and two assists in two games in the tournament.

Teammate and forward Connor Bedard scored four goals against Austria. He becomes the first player since Wayne Gretzky in 1977 to score a hat trick at the World Junior tournament at 16 years of age. It also tied a record for most goals scored in an IIHF game.

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Three Peterborough Petes Games Postponed Due to COVID-19

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Three Peterborough Petes games have been postponed by the Ontario Hockey League following COVID-19 protocols affecting the club announced on Tuesday.

The next three Peterborough Petes regular-season games against the Barrie Colts and Niagara IceDogs (twice) will be rescheduled to later dates.

  • Dec. 30 – Barrie Colts at Peterborough Petes

  • Dec. 31 – Peterborough Petes at Niagara IceDogs 

  • Jan. 1 – Niagara IceDogs at Peterborough Petes 

The Ontario Hockey League and the Peterborough Petes will not be providing comments at this time according to the release. The League will provide an update on rescheduling information upon confirmation of new dates.

Digital tickets issued for the three games will be reissued for the postponed games when the new game dates are confirmed. Physical tickets will also be honoured for the rescheduled games. 

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Peterborough Petes Offers Fans Exclusive Deals For Small Businesses Through New Partnership

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The Peterborough Petes have partnered with FanSaves that connects Petes fans with exclusive deals to several local businesses via app or their website announced Tuesday.

Photo Courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

FanSaves is a digital couponing platform that features discounts and deals from sponsors and affiliated brands of sports teams, organizations and communities.

The digital coupon book that is free by people who live in and visit the Peterborough area and who are looking to support local businesses. Season ticket holders have exclusive access to special offers not available to the general public.

“We are beyond proud to be partnered with the Petes and to be connecting people to team sponsors,” said Shannon Ferguson, FanSaves co-founder and CEO. Fans and locals now have a great way to digitally engage with the team and support local businesses who support the Petes. Plus, who doesn’t love saving money just for being a fan.”

Petes Fans can access FanSaves in three ways: 

  1. Downloading the Petes app, opening the main menu and clicking FanSaves

  2. Heading to the Petes website, clicking on Fan Zone and clicking FanSaves

  3. Downloading the FanSaves app 

Petes Fans must create a free FanSaves account and follow the Peterborough Petes from the offered teams.

“The Petes are incredibly excited to partner with FanSaves and be able to offer our fans the opportunity to connect with our partners inside and outside the arena,” explained Eric Ebenbauer, Petes director of sales. Given the precautions in place because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, offering coupons and discounts digitally makes a lot of sense and opens up opportunities for unique promotions."

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